Category: Uncategorized

A. Kanga Yellow

Anigozanthos is an Australian plant, commonly called Kangaroo Paws. It will bloom in a container or in the garden from Spring into Fall. The flowers are brightly colored in shades of red, orange and yellow, tubular in shape with strap-like foliage. Cutting back the flowers regularly increases the flower display. This is a plant for sunshine and if planted in a container needs well-draining soil. They can be grown indoors as house plants and require bright light, well-draining soil and weekly fertilization. This is a pretty new plant on the gardening scene but it is charming in a container attracting hummingbirds and butterflies. If you like plants that say “touch me” you will like their velvety texture,too.

A. thompsonii

A is also for Abutilon which is a great plant for a shady container. My current favorite is A. Biltmore Ballgown. This is an heirloom plant from the Biltmore Estate in Asheville, North Carolina. Its tubular yellow flowers with red-striped veining seem to swirl and sway from its deep green foliage like dancers at a ball. Growing 2 to 4 feet high, it requires frequent feeding, well draining soil and only morning sun. Another favorite is Abutilon thompsonii (shown at left) which has a compact, dense habit that is suitable for making a topiary standard. It has mottled leaves of yellow and green with bright orange flowers. Abutilons can be wintered over as house plants quite easily.

Agastache Grape Nectar provides constantly blooming spikes of lavender flowers throughout the summer until frost. Although not hardy in our zone, Grape Nectar makes an excellent annual for the border or a container. It needs excellent drainage and sunlight to perform well.

A. Purple Stripe

No border or container is complete without long-blooming Angelonias that have Salvia-like flower spikes in shades of purple, white or pink. The fragrant flowers are easy to grow in containers or borders and grow to a height of 2 feet. A. Purple Stripe (at right), a pristine white with deep purple splotches, is a compact, floriferous grower. A. Zebra is a pink and purple bi-color that mixes well with other sun-loving annuals.

A is for annuals that add three to four months of color in beds or containers. Add some to your garden this year.

==Sue Acheson

Aronia arbutifolia Brilliantissima

Aronia arbutifolia ‘Brilliantissima’ – Chokeberry

This beautiful variety of a native, deciduous shrub has white flowers in May and develops bright red fruits that persist into winter. The fruits are very ornamental and a food source for wildlife. The plants are salt tolerant and will grow in moist sites as well as average soils. This adaptable shrub grows 6-10 ft. tall and not usually browse by deer.

Camellia oleifera Lu Shan Snow

Camellia oleifera ‘Lu Shan Snow’ – Camelia

‘Lu Shan’ is a very cold tolerant camellia with single, white flowers. It is evergreen and Fall blooming, tolerating full shade. It will add a little excitement to a shady corner. This is a plant that will take you out of your comfort zone with no regrets. This striking shrub is fully hardy in our area. It will bring some new excitement to the autumn garden.

Cornus kousa Wolf Eyes

Cornus kousa ‘Wolf Eyes’ – Kousa Dogwood

‘Wolf Eyes’ is a fabulous dogwood with variegated foliage in white and green. The leaves have a ruffled appearance making it an unusual compliment to the garden. The fall color is a striking mix of red and pink. White flowers in June are followed by ornamental fruits. The tree grows best in partial to full shade so that the delicate white edges of the leaves do not scorch. Mature specimens are only about 10 feet high which makes this a great tree for planting near a shady patio.

Fagus sylvatica Purple Fountain

Fagus sylvatica ‘Purple Fountain’ – Weeping European Beech

A small ornamental tree Purple Fountain is colored deeply purple with a graceful habit. It is strongly upright with a tightly weeping form, forming a lovely cascade effect. The leaf color changes to bronze by mid summer. The weeping branches and bark add winter interest. It grows slowly to a height of 25 ft. and a spread of 15 ft. Add this to your landscape in a place where you can appreciate its’ elegant form and view it year round.

==Marla Jackson, Woody Plant Chair

Verbena Bonariensis

My favorite plant today is Verbena bonariensis a self-sowing annual for sun with a long bloom season.

Self-sowing means that if you let the seed pods stay on the plant they will be dispersed in your garden and you can have this wonderful plant popping up year after year. If you don’t like the serendipity of plants appearing in your garden simply deadhead it as it sets seed.

A look alike to Spring flowering Alliums Verbena bonariensis adds that same circular shape to the garden all Summer long. The purple flowers on wiry stems attract bees and butterflies.

L. Baggensen’s Gold

Lonicera, or more commonly called honeysuckle, is considered by many to be a noxious weed but there are many varieties of honeysuckle that are not invasive but worthy additions to the garden. The bad guy here is Japanese Honeysuckle(Lonicera japonica) Now for the good guys:

L. Major Wheeler

Lonicera Baggesen’s Gold – This is personal favorite of mine and I have grown it as a shrub, in a container and as a substitute for boxwood. It forms a mounding shrub with arching branches which are evergreen except in severe winters. The leaves are small and golden color.It lends itself to shearing, can be used as a tall groundcover, makes a great specimen plant and like all lonicera is deer resistant. it looks good with purple foliaged plants like purple smokebush or stands out next to deep green shrubs like rhododendrons.

L. pileata

Lonicera Major Wheeler is more like Grandma’s honeysuckle. An 8 foot tall twining vine, it is a magnet for hummingbirds from late Spring through Summer. The trumpet shaped flowers are coral red. If you like yellow you might try Lonicera John Clayton. These vining Lonicera need full sun.

For shady, deer dominated areas Lonicera pileata is small ground covering shrub with beautiful glossy green leaves. This plant is one of The Pennsylvania Horticultrural Societies award winners.It can be grown in full sun or shade.An added bonus is amethyst fruits on mature plants. A somewhat lower version of this plant is Lonicera pileata moss green which has tiny paired leaves which provide year round interest. Both of these honeysuckles are evergreen.

2018 Community Garden Conference Presentations

Despite the snow and cold, we had another great conference this past Saturday. Hope you enjoyed it too.

As in the past, we will load the presentation slides here as the presenters make them available to us. Here is what we have so far:

• Growing Strawberries in a Community Garden, Peter Nitzsche, County Agent, Cooperative Extension of Morris County
• Insect and Disease ID and Management for Home Vegetable Gardeners, Kris Holmstrom, IPM Research Project Coordinator II

Click on a title to open the presentation as a pdf. We will add other presentations as we receive them.